Photographer Thomas Jorion has visited and recorded abandoned buildings around the world, including these astonishing villas in Northern Italy. The crumbling frescoes, elaborate tilework, grand staircases and peeling wallpaper give a glimpse into a decadent past.

These photographs of ruin have a haunting beauty, and make you wonder why the villas were abandoned. The varying reasons include financial ruin, the threat of landslides and a nuclear base being built near one of the villas.